


Something Radiates

by embroiderama



Category: White Collar
Genre: Coincidences, Multi, Thanksgiving, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-01-26
Packaged: 2017-11-26 15:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embroiderama/pseuds/embroiderama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The subject of the past comes up in conversation, and Peter, Neal and El all learn something about serendipity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Radiates

**Author's Note:**

> This is a timestamp to [The Crumbling Difference](http://embroiderama.livejournal.com/507437.html) (a pre-series story), and I'm not certain if it'll make sense without reading that one first. I wrote this for [](http://sinfulslasher.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://sinfulslasher.livejournal.com/)**sinfulslasher** in the timestamp meme a while back.

El's mother had taken the year off from cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and once the three of them ducked the various dinner invitations they received they had the long weekend to themselves. They had a quiet meal then moved the party up to the bedroom until they were all exhausted and utterly satisfied in all ways. El was reclining in the middle of the bed with Neal slumped against her right side, Peter on the left, her fingers playing through two different textures of sweat-damp hair. "We forgot to say what we were thankful for, at dinner."

"Hmm," Peter sighed, his voice humming against her skin, "I'm thankful to have our house and our dog and everything we need. And more than anything I'm glad I have the both of you in my life." Peter pressed his lips to El's arm and reached across to stroke his hand over Neal's hip.

"Such a sap," Neal mumbled sleepily.

"Hush," El said. "I'm thankful that I met and married you," she tugged lightly on Peter's hair, "and that he tracked you," she tugged on Neal's hair next, "across three continents and eventually brought you home to me. So, I guess I'm thankful for happy accidents. Serendipity."

"Serendipity," Neal mused, leaning into El's hand. "I've been thinking about my life lately, about the different ways it could've gone."

"Non-criminal ways, you mean?" Peter asked.

"Maybe. Or, well, I wasn't entirely honest with you about how it went when I first came to the city. It took me a while to figure out what I was good at, to find Mozzie. It turned out okay, but I was just a kid." Neal shook his head against El's side. "If not for some of that serendipity I feel like maybe--" Neal sighed.

"Maybe what?" El asked, moving her fingers softly through his hair.

"Maybe it wouldn't have been so okay?" Peter's voice was low, unhappy, and Neal reached across to touch his wrist.

"There was a point when things were looking pretty bad, and knowing what I do now—" Neal was quiet for a few breaths. "It was probably worse than I understood back then. But there were three people who kind of saved me in different ways."

El felt Peter’s body go from relaxed to tense, and she wasn't surprised when he sat up. Neal straightened up as well, and El folded her legs up to make room for them all to sit in a tight triangle on the bed. "Who?" Peter asked.

"Two of them, I have no idea. Just strangers." A fleeting, mischievous smile passed over Neal's face. "One of them was June."

"Really?" El hadn't thought that much about Neal could surprise her, but this did.

"You told me you met her at that thrift store."

"We did run into each other there, and I hadn't seen her in a long time. I had no idea that she'd be there, but she recognized me right away and asked me to come stay at her house. Again." Neal looked away for a moment. "I worked for her for a few months back in '96, and the job came with a room."

Peter opened his mouth, looking like he was about to interrogate Neal about the job situation, but El put her hand on his leg. He and Neal could discuss that later, but there were more important things. "Where were you living before that?"

"Here and there. Were you two in the city then?"

Peter squeezed El's hand, and she knew he'd back off for now. "I was here some of the time," he said. "I hadn't been out of Quantico all that long, and the Bureau had me back and forth between DC and New York."

"I was still in college then," El said, surprised yet again at how long ago it had been.

"Clearly I robbed the cradle." Peter shook his head and rolled his eyes at himself. "Twice."

"Hush. I was at NYU, and in '96 I was living in a dorm in the East Village on Seventh Street."

Neal grinned. "Near where the Kiev used to be?"

"Yes! God, I miss that place."

Neal nodded. "I was disappointed when I came back here and found it gone. But I met somebody there just a day or two before I met June--one of my serendipitous meetings. She was this NYU girl." Neal smiled at El then got a soft, far-away look in his eyes for a moment before shaking himself and looking back at El, his face suddenly pale.

"What?" El rubbed her hand on Neal's arm. "What happened?"

"Did you wear your hair long then?" At El's nod, he continued, "Did you have a habit of sitting at tables with random strangers?"

"No, of course not! I did one time though, actually. This guy was taking up a four-table all by himself so I kind of barged in on him and we ended up talking. He was really sweet." El hadn't thought about that meeting in a long, long time, but she poked around at her memory. The guy had been cute but scrawny, not her type at the time, but he'd known a lot about art. He'd said something that made her laugh, and she groped around for it until she remembered him joking that people called him "N" because his name was-- El felt her throat go dry. " _Neal?_ "

Neal smiled, but she could see the worries lurking behind the smile. "Talk about serendipity, huh?"

"You're telling me you two met fifteen years ago?" Peter looked back and forth between them.

El took Neal's hand in hers and squeezed it hard. "But I don't understand. You said you were talking about strangers who had saved you, and I didn't even buy you dinner."

"It's hard to explain," Neal said, his voice rough with emotion, "but you did a lot. Talking to you, it meant a lot at the time."

El wanted to press him for more, but she knew that it wasn't the right time, that Neal was too close to the raw edge of old emotions already. "I'm glad," she said quietly.

"And I wouldn't have been there at the Kiev if not for the first...kind stranger."

Peter rolled his eyes at Neal's phrasing but kept silent.

"I was--" Neal looked miserable for a moment, and El squeezed his hand again. "I was having a run of bad luck, and out of nowhere this man gave me a cup of coffee." Neal shook his head. "And fifty dollars, if you can believe it."

Peter made a small noise, and when El looked over at him, the expression on his face was oddly embarrassed. "Hon?"

Peter took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. He reached out for Neal's hand, closing the circuit through the three of them. "When I finally got a picture of James Bonds, I spent a lot of time staring at that picture, and one day I remembered this kid I met when I was new in the city. He looked like the loneliest person I'd ever seen, and I couldn't stand it."

"Peter?" Neal sounded like he wanted to bolt, and El held on tighter.

"And I knew that the guys I worked with would've given me hell, but I couldn't let it go." Peter looked across at Neal and El knew that he was seeing that Neal from so many years ago.

"This is--I don't know." Neal shook his head. "Back then, it seemed like nobody saw me."

"I saw you. I always see you, don't you know?" Peter's voice was serious and steady, and El felt painfully filled with love for the both of them. She slowly started to lay back, drawing Neal and Peter with her as they were still linked hand to hand. They lay together, breathing in silence for a long, comfortable moment.

"So, that's what I'm thankful for." Neal leaned up to kiss El and then across her to Peter.

El held them both close and tried not to think about Neal being so young and so alone. She wanted to go back in time and hold onto him, but all she could do was hold onto him now--and she had no intention of letting him go.


End file.
